Scholar 2 Scholar provides opportunities for undergraduate research

Missouri State University’s Scholar 2 Scholar program is accepting applications for the 2017-18 academic year.

Established to provide collaborative research experiences through matching undergraduate students with faculty mentors, Scholar 2 Scholar is a campus-wide research initiative that empowers students who are interested in working as research assistants with faculty from a variety of disciplines.

Who is eligible?

Undergraduate sophomore, junior and senior students with work study awards are eligible to participate. Work study awards must be at least $1,000 per semester, $2,000 per year with possible summer employment for $1,000.

Students should apply for both the Scholar 2 Scholar program and the division for diversity and inclusion research assistant work study position no later than April 2017.

Students accepted to the program receive a wage of at least $9 per hour and have the opportunity to present their completed research projects at an on-campus research symposium.

Additionally, students must maintain a 2.40 cumulative GPA throughout the program and must be available for research instruction and work at least seven hours per week for up to 30 weeks.

Michael Davis works as a graduate assistant in the Center for Community Engagement at MSU.

Students gain research skills, experience

Scholar 2 Scholar encourages students, especially those from underrepresented and lower-income populations, to participate in research as early as possible in their academic careers.

Michael Davis, a graduate student studying professional studies with an emphasis in homeland security, did not always have the confidence he now has in his research capabilities.

“The program took me out of the academic environment and placed me in a real-world research environment,” said Davis, who got his undergraduate degree in psychology. “As part of the program, I developed and wrote the institutional review board (IRB) application, researched, compiled and analyzed the data, and presented my findings at the faculty showcase in fall 2016.”

Davis says his experience with the Scholar 2 Scholar program was the opportunity of a lifetime.

“Scholar 2 Scholar gave me the confidence to believe that wherever I go and whatever I do, I have the ability to do it myself,” said Davis, who was one of the first two Scholar 2 Scholar recipients. “If the opportunity arises for a student to undertake a project like this, he or she should grab hold of it with both hands and never let go.”